How does harvesting impact white sage (Salvia apiana) as a cultural resource in southern California?

Includes bibliographical references (pages 45-48)Demand for non-timber plant products has increased and with the stress of pressures, such as invasive species and habitat fragmentation, the sustainability of some culturally important plant populations may be at risk. Salvia apiana (white sage) is a plant used in cleansing ceremonies by Native Americans and adherents to other nature and Earth-centric spiritualties. Some Native Americans have suggested that the species is in decline and there is concern that over-harvesting may be the cause. This study addresses that concern by examining (1) how different ethnic and spiritual groups harvest or otherwise acquire S. apiana and (2) how plants respond to different harvest practices. People were surveyed to learn about their harvest practices and wild plants were subjected to combinations of harvest treatments to examine their biological effect. Treatments included gathering technique (by hand, cutting, leaf only), removal amount (0%, 5%, 25%, 50%), and harvest season (spring, summer). While various ethnic and spiritual groups acquire and harvest materials from S. apiana differently, these practices did not have significant impacts on plant size, leaf-volume ratio or flower abundance. Therefore, harvest is not a likely reason for decline of this species. A more likely cause of decline is the conversion of coastal sage scrub vegetation to invasive grass-domination due to increases in urban development and fire frequency